Sony opens PlayStation Meeting 2003

Sony Computer Entertainment released a number of figures and discussed its future plans during its PlayStation Meeting 2003 today. SCE revealed that it sold 97 million PlayStation units and 53 million PlayStation 2 units worldwide in the 2002 fiscal year. SCE representatives said that the first half of 2003 has seen fewer game sales than usual, and that the company feels that the lack of blockbuster titles accounts for the drop. While its major titles will still be released in the second half of 2003, SCE said that it will attempt to adjust release schedules with publishers in the future, since companies will miss out on profits if many of them release games in the same period.

A number of upcoming releases were mentioned or displayed during the PlayStation Meeting. Capcom presented its online title Biohazard Outbreak, which is currently slated for a late November release and is scheduled to include five chapters. Namco revealed a new game where objects are rolled into a ball that eventually gets bigger and bigger as it continues to roll and engulf more objects. Its release schedule has not been set. Koei revealed Sengoku Musou, a game that is similar to Sangoku Musou except it takes place in medieval Japan instead of China. Sengoku Musou is scheduled for release in March. Final Fantasy XII was revealed to be in development, but no screenshots or details were revealed. The producer, Yasumi Matsuno, said that Final Fantasy XII might surprise fans of the series, since the title will be unlike any other game in the series.